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Victorian art is not often a subject that courts controversy - but a recent exhibition has caused such a stir that part of it has been removed from public view.

A set of nineteenth-century nudes was withdrawn from display at the Edwin Budding Gallery in Hassocks, near Brighton, after visitors complained it was “vulgar”.

They were older ladies who thought they were rather disgusting and vulgar so we removed themDi Nee

The postcard-sized photographs, including one full-frontal shot of a lady clutching a glass of champagne, had been shown in their original frames alongside other works, including saucy cartoons.

Paintings of semi-naked women were also part of the ‘Romance’ exhibition, but did not receive the same complaints.

Di Nee, 65, who runs the gallery with her husband, said she did not really understand why the pictures had been seen as offensive when many modern advertisements were much worse.

Mrs Nee, who organised the exhibition and runs the gallery alongside her husband, Martin, an artist, said the pieces were “just of naked women”.

The collection of Victorian nude boudoir photographs has been taken down from the Edwin Budding Gallery in Hassock Credit:
David McHugh/Brighton Pictures

Speaking to the Telegraph, she said: “We felt that yes, it is nudity, but before 1839 pictures of nudity generally consisted of paintings and then artists started to use photography.

“We thought that the photographs were a romantic thing in itself. Physical intimacy is characterised by passionate love and we felt there was a place for it.”

Among the black-and-white photographs is a picture of three naked ladies holding hands and dancing. Another shows a lady wearing thigh-high stockings and facing away from the camera, pulling her top above her breasts. “This was before people shaved, but they are all tasteful,” Mrs Nee said.

Staff said this afternoon that following the support of the public the pictures would be going back upCredit:
David McHugh/Brighton Pictures

The decision was made to remove them from the free exhibition after several "mainly older women" complained to a member of staff a couple of days after it opened.

“They were older ladies who thought they were rather disgusting and vulgar so we removed them,” Mrs Nee said. “You can never keep everybody happy but I do think it is a shame, when you look at what is on advertisements these days, they are far more offensive than these were.”

Sarah Mead, who works at the South Downs Heritage Centre, where the gallery is based, said two elderly women had initially complained, saying they were not happy seeing the images.

“Then another person came along and kicked up a bit of a stink and we decided to take them down,” she said.

Martin Nee, who runs the gallery with his wife, Di, with two of the photographs Credit:
David McHugh/Brighton Pictures

Ms Mead said she was particularly surprised by the complaints because other "more shocking" artworks - including a saucy cartoon which features a tap shaped like male genitalia - are still on display and have not been complained about.

Before 1839, depictions of nudity and erotica generally consisted of paintings, drawings and engravings. But, in the following decades, artists began to use new photography techniques and technology as a way to depict the nude form, sometimes as a form of pornography.

The photographs, by an unknown artist and donated to the gallery by a local collector, were displayed alongside work by local sculptors and artists, as well as limited edition pieces by Sir William Russell Flint and John Yardley.

Following the publicity, the gallery said that the pictures would be going back up and the exhibition extended for two weeks.